Passion and Focus - an interview with Tom Chilton, BTCC Racing Driver

Passion and Focus!

Racing Driver Tom Chilton talks about what drives him….
Interview by David Jones.

 

Tom is looking to raise his profile in Bournemouth now that he is fully settled in 

down here.  He has regularly featured on BBC’s popular Top Gear TV programme as well as on ITV’s coverage of the racing in the British Touring Car Championship. 

In fact, he appeared in a recent episode of Top Gear, driving a bus around a tight circuit, with predictable results!  To view him in Top Gear and find out more about this up-and-coming young driver, visit www.tomchilton.com 

David Jones recently caught up with Tom at the Slug and Lettuce in Bournemouth……

Hi Tom, could you tell me something about your work on Top Gear.  You’ve been in the limelight quite a lot recently!

Yes, it’s been going very well for me recently.  I’ve been on Top Gear five times now but this last time was the first time that I’ve worked with Jeremy (Clarkson).  We did the filming at Dunsfold, the circuit near Guildford.

What are the Top Gear guys really like?  Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond (AKA the “Hamster”) and James May (known as “Captain Slow”).

Jeremy’s a really nice guy and at one stage he took me to one side and he gave me some tips on what to say on film.  I was inspired by the whole experience.  I was impressed by them all.  They didn’t seem at all arrogant.  I’ve worked with Richard 4 times and 3 times with James and they are exactly as they seem to be.  James really doesn’t care what he looks like, he just turns up as he is and gets on with it.  Richard, on the other hand, really does care how he comes across and he spends a long time getting ready for the cameras!  He’s always there in his best leather jacket and jeans and the other two are always beating him up for it!

When you and Jeremy met on the track and you were apparently trying to pull away from him in that BMW, were you really trying?  The Lexus seemed to be able to keep up quite easily!

Well, the Lexus is a lot faster on the straight, so I was able to go faster on the bends but he was just reeling me in on the straights.  Also, for a presenter, Jeremy was reasonable, though of course there’s a big jump between driving well and driving as fast as a racing driver.  I’ve found that the best analogy is with golf.  In golf, as in racing, you’ve got to relax and hold back, ease into it.  If you over-drive, you don’t go as fast and that’s something I’ve really learned over the last year or so.

Are you sure you’re not the Stig?  Have you had a drink with the Stig, and if so, what’s his tipple?

No, I’m not the Stig.  I’d love to be him though, driving all those lovely cars!  The flashiest thing I’ve driven was a Bugatti Veyron.  I drove the Veyron at over 200 mph, four times.  And the chap who was with me encouraged me to hit the brakes without my hands on the wheel!  He told me to just slam my foot on the brakes and take my hands away – and the car just came to a stop under its own control!  It was unreal!  The steering wheel was dancing around but the car just controlled itself in a straight line!

As for the Stig, I have met him and I do know who he is, but I’m not saying.  I think he had a Bacardi and coke when I met him (at a Formula 1 charity event at Great Ormond Street Hospital).

Will we be seeing more of you on Top Gear?

Yes, I’m sure.  Everyone talks about it.  I’ve always said nice things about them and I’ve got great coverage.  I think they’ll keep doing it and I like beating Hammond up, it’s fun!  The videos (of my appearances on Top Gear) are now on my website and on Youtube.

When and how did you start racing?

I started when I was 13.  I passed my racing licence in the pouring rain and thick fog at Castle Combe when I was 13 years and 10 months old.  I was the youngest driver ever to hold a National B racing licence.  When I was 16, I moved into touring cars and I won the German Touring Car Championship when I was still 16.  I was too big to follow the normal route into karts.  I was too big to do karting when I was at school.  I was the fat kid, but I managed to lose 10 inches from my waist.  As a result, I’ve been back to my old school to give inspirational speeches to show the children what you can achieve with a bit of effort.  My dad was getting worried and he wanted to find a focus for me.  Dad was 32 stone (he’s now down to 19.5 stone) and he didn’t want me to get like him.  My dad has some talent too: one time at one of the circuits, he was just a few tenths off an Italian touring car champion’s time.

What do you enjoy most about racing?

The adrenaline, the feel-good factor, when you try so hard to get it perfect and you’re able to get something back for yourself and the whole team.  All those smiling faces.

What do you have to do to be successful in motor racing?

Success is all about reliability, so a lot depends on the engine builder and the team.  In Arena next year, we are expecting great things because the engine department is so good.  Of course, in a good car you are looking for things like lightness, strength, power and the right geometry.  By the right geometry, I mean the pick up points, balance, tyre choice, suspension set-up and so on.

What have been the main highs and lows in your racing career so far?

Highs – winning the Nurburgring 1,000 Kilometer race, qualifying first and winning Laguna Seca and my back-to-back wins at Snetterton in a Honda Civic Type R for Arena Motorsport.

Lows – there have been a few bloody lows, I’ll be honest, but you’ve got to remember the highs.  Probably the worst was at Knockhill or when I rolled at Brands Hatch and didn’t even qualify!  But I’ve learnt from those experiences.  Mike Earle picked me at 18 years of age and gave me a drive, but when I rolled the car, I learnt that by driving at 70% rather than over-driving, I’m now more consistent.


Tom leading a race in his Honda Civic Type R in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

Who are your heroes or role models?  (If you have any).  And what makes those people so special?

Michael Schumacher.  He was F1 champion 7 times.  You have to be absolutely confident to manage something like that.  He can focus, come out of a situation and re-focus.  I know how it all works and now I can normally fix a problem before it happens.  Circuit knowledge helps.  I always run around each circuit every Friday night before I race on it the next day.  This enables me to get one up on the other chaps.

Also, Mohamed Ali, the boxer.  Again, he was super-confident, quite an extreme case!

What are you planning to do next to further your own career?  What’s the next step?

A lot on the PR side.  I’m at the stage where I’ve got to win the BTCC now.  I’d love to do Le Mans with my brother Max, who’s now 17 years old.  Once (in 2007) I nearly finished 3rd, but I lost 3 laps in the pits and ended up finishing in 5th.  That was in an LMP1 Zytec car for Arena Motorsport.  I’d like to get to the stage where I can be another Jason Plato, perhaps hosting a TV show.  I’m also working on a clothing range, called “TC” (for “Tom Chilton”), which should be ready for April time.  In 10 to 15 years, I might think about doing something like the Aussie V8 series, but I really like Bournemouth.  My ultimate goal is to drive the Audi Le Mans car.  I think the future is in hybrids.  You saw that at Le Mans first and you can see just how fast the diesel cars are on the straights.

Which is your favourite circuit and why?

It’s got to be Snetterton, because it’s got every type of corner, slow, fast, chicane, but I’ve got podiums at all of them.

What’s it like driving the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca?

You have to be careful!  You hit the throttle and you’ll spin as you’ll have about 60 horsepower too much, so you shouldn’t touch the throttle until the wheels are straight.  Short shift and then get away.  I won there in 2005 in an LMP1, which became the LMP2 for Arena.  It’s the greatest feeling in the world – you’re miles from home, there’s no set-up on the car, it’s really exciting.  And there was some great interplay between me and Weaver.

Do you have any close rivals in your championship?

Everyone’s good now.  Of course, there’s Matt Neal, and then there’s Fabrizio Giovannardi, who won the last 2 years, so he might do again next year.  There’s Jason Plato and Turkington, a lot of great drivers.  Of course, sometimes it’s also just down to luck.  For example, in one race I was in an wheel-to-wheel incident and I ended up starting at the back of the grid.  That was probably my worst bit of luck in the last 3 years, so I hope this will be my year.

What’s a typical race day like for you?

Mad!!!  There are loads of debriefs and every time you get out of the car you have to deal with all the sponsors and go to 2 or 3 different hospitality suites.  Sometimes I’ve even missed lunch because I’ve been too busy talking to everyone, though of course, nutrition is extremely important!  Perhaps I’ve been too nice and I must be stricter!

What’s the strangest thing you’ve had to do for a sponsor?

Loads of things.  For Holiday Inn, I went up in a hot air balloon at Thruxton over the A303.  Then they flew me to Berlin to give a speech for about 700 people at the Intercontinental Hotel about the synergies between racing and sales and marketing and another speech for the general managers.  Then another time I sprayed my hair orange for Halfords.  Now I’m hoping to get sponsorship from a hair gel sponsor and Sega – because my nickname is Sonic (- the Hedgehog, a character from a Sega computer game).

What do you do when you’re away from the circuits, when you’re not racing?  What do you do during the week?

I spend the time trying to lose weight, working on a fitter body and mind, and also trying to find quality personal sponsors.  I do lots of other sports, almost every day.

How do you balance everything?

You have to.  That’s why I moved down to Bournemouth.  I keep the fire there, but I hold it back when I’m on the public roads.

Do you have time for any hobbies?  Girlfriends?

Unfortunately, so far I’ve split up with my girlfriends every year in March just before the season.  I love girls; they fascinate me.  My hobbies include running a remote control speed boat that can do 40mph on water, built by hand.  I guess I’m a big kid.  My friend just crashed my monster truck.  I also do Hip Hop and Street dancing at the Anglo Dance studios in Charminster, Bournemouth.  I’m also working on my hand-to-eye coordination, so that’s why I’m doing things like Hip Hop and kickboxing with Mo Kargbo at Fitness First.  I like to do a bit of everything.  Life is about tasting everything.  Everything legal, that is!

What is it with racing drivers and cycling?  Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Takuma Sato and you are all keen cyclists (Webber just broke a leg in a charity cycling event) – what’s the attraction?  Isn’t it a bit slow?

I love getting out on a road bike.  It can be very fast.  I’m sponsored by Scott, in fact.  Bikes are lightweight and downhill you can get up to about 50mph.  Also, cycling teaches you about aerodynamics.

We’ve heard about your cycling.  What else do you do to stay fit?  Do you have to spend a lot of time in the gym?  Do you need to use a machine to strengthen your neck?

Fitness First in Poole has everything.  But Rome wasn’t built in a day.  My brother has a machine for his neck at home and I sometimes use it, but that’s not so important in touring cars as the G-forces aren’t as great as in single seaters.

What about the psychological side of your racing?  Some drivers call on the services of “mind coaches”.  Do you do anything to get your head ready for each race? 

I’ve just started seeing a sports psychologist (the same one as Andy Murray and Andy Priaulx).  I started just before the last race at Snetterton in the second half of the season and I’ve noticed a massive improvement.  I’m only on the grid to challenge the Seat turbo diesels.  To get ready for a race, I listen to my ipod for the last 7 minutes or so before I get into the car and I do a 14 minute build-up period.

What do you drive normally (ie. on the road)?  How does it compare with your BTCC car?

I get a company car from the manufacturer, so I’ll get a new Ford Focus ST in January, one of the fastest hot hatches.  I’m very lucky.  It includes the insurance.  Touring cars now use many production parts.  The road car compares quite favourably - it’s just slower.

What music do you listen to when you’re driving?

Loads of stuff.  Jacko to Jamiroquai to Stevie Wonder, dance songs.  Before every race, I listen to a track called “We Cry” by the band “The Script”, which gets me focused.

How does your family feel about you racing?

My dad loves it.  He’s always there, sniffing exhaust pipes!  My mother screams a lot, so don’t stand too close to her!  They are both very supportive and nearly every weekend is spent watching my brother and me.  It keeps us very close.  It’s a family thing.

Is the financial side of things getting tougher these days, particularly as we are in the grip of such a painful recession?  Are you finding it harder to bring in sponsorship?

Yes, it’s getting harder.  Therefore, PR is very important.  I’m not finding it harder to get sponsors personally, but others are.  I wouldn’t F*** a celebrity to get in the newspapers – I don’t need to court controversy!

Do you have a special routine (any superstitious habits) for just before a race?  Do you have a lucky charm?

I stare at the back window of the car, at my name, when I’m putting on my balaclava.  I do that to focus.  No, I don’t have a lucky charm – I make my own luck.

Finally, do you have a motto?  For example, Takuma Sato, the Japanese racing driver’s motto is “No attack, no chance!”  How about you?

Never lose the fire in your belly!  Always look forward but learn from the past.  Maybe something like “Passion and Focus” or “Passion and fire”!

Red Dragon Motorsport (UK) and Listed Magazine wish Tom all the best for next season and let’s hope he gets those results!


Tom standing on the roof of his Honda Type R after a race win

Quick profile:
DOB: 15th March 1985.
Occupation: Racing Driver - British Touring Car Championship.
Nationality: British.

BTCC Races: 169.
BTCC Wins: 7.
BTCC Podiums: 33.

Records: 

Youngest ever competitor in the BTCC.
Youngest ever driver to win a race in the BTCC.
Youngest ever driver to hold a National B Racing Licence.
Youngest ever podium finisher in the BTCC.
Won the BRSCC Winter German Touring Car Championship (aged 16).
Nurburgring 1000km European Le Mans Race Winner.
Laguna Seca - American Le Mans Race Winner.

Hobbies: Fitness, Running, Hiking, Road / Mountain Biking, Rowing, Sailing, Golf, and Water-sports.